How to get my deceased husband's Social Security earnings record from SSA?

I'm sorry for your loss. To get your husband's earnings record, you'll need to file Form SSA-7050 (Request for Social Security Earnings Information). You can't get this online - must be mailed in with proper ID documentation. As his widow, you'll need to provide his SSN, death certificate, and proof you're the legal representative (marriage certificate). There's a fee ranging from $24-136 depending on how many years you need. The form has instructions for what documentation to include.

u might not need his full record if ur just trying to figure out survivor benefits. SSA shud be able to tell u what ur eligible for without that expensive report. did u try making an appointment with your local office?

when my husband died last year i went thru this exact thing!!! the ONLY way i could get anywhere was going to the office in person BUT even then they told me i needed an appointment which was ridiculous because i couldnt get thru on the phone to MAKE an appointment!!!! It was the most frustrating experience ever and i cried right there in the lobby.

Got the same runaround after my wife passed. SS system is designed to make you give up! I finally got through after calling EXACTLY at 9:00am Monday morning. Set my alarm and everything. Still waited 45 minutes but at least didn't get disconnected that time.

Instead of dealing with the frustration of endless holds and disconnections, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's a service that basically waits on hold with SSA for you, then calls you when an agent is on the line. I used it last month to schedule my survivor benefits appointment after trying for weeks to get through on my own. They have a video demo of how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It saved me so much stress, especially since I was also dealing with grief at the time.

You actually don't need the full earnings history to claim survivor benefits! This is a common misconception. What you DO need to do is apply for survivor benefits, which should be done as soon as possible since some benefits are time-sensitive. There are different types of survivor benefits - if you're at your Full Retirement Age (FRA), you can receive 100% of what your husband was receiving or would have received. If you're younger, you get a reduced percentage. Your best route is getting an appointment with SSA, bringing your marriage certificate, his death certificate, both your Social Security numbers, and your birth certificate. They'll be able to calculate everything for you without that expensive detailed earnings report.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! I spent 6 MONTHS trying to get my husband's records after he passed and kept getting different answers from everyone!!! One agent told me I needed this form, another said a different form, then they lost my paperwork TWICE!!! It's like they WANT to make it impossible for widows to get what they deserve!!! DISGRACEFUL!!

To answer your question about timing - if you do still want the detailed earnings record, it typically takes 4-6 weeks after you submit the SSA-7050 form. But as others have mentioned, for survivor benefits purposes, you don't typically need that detailed history. Since you're 62, you have options. You could take reduced survivor benefits now and switch to your own retirement at 70 (if your own benefit would be higher), or take your own reduced retirement now and switch to survivors at your FRA. It depends on the relative benefit amounts and your financial needs. This is exactly what they should discuss with you at your appointment.

my cousin did that thing where she took survivor benefits at 60 then switched to her own at 70 and gets way more now than if she had just stuck with one. but u gotta run the numbers cuz its different for everybody

I wanted to follow up on my experience. After using Claimyr to get through to SSA, I was able to schedule an appointment for the following week. At the appointment, the SSA representative ran calculations based on both my record and my late husband's. They provided estimates for different claiming strategies - taking survivors now vs. later. I never needed the full earnings record after all, just the documentation others mentioned here. The whole process was much smoother once I actually got the appointment scheduled.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Evelyn. I went through this same process when my mom passed away two years ago. The advice about not needing the full earnings record for survivor benefits is spot on - I almost paid for that expensive report before someone at the SSA office told me it wasn't necessary. One tip that really helped me: if you can't get through by phone, try visiting your local office first thing in the morning without an appointment. I know they say you need one, but I found that if you arrive right when they open and explain you're dealing with survivor benefits, they're often more accommodating. Bring all your documents in a folder - marriage certificate, death certificate, both Social Security cards, your ID, and his birth certificate if you have it. The timing strategies others mentioned are really important too. At 62, you have flexibility that can make a big difference in your lifetime benefits. Don't rush into a decision - make sure they show you the numbers for different scenarios.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Evelyn. I went through something similar when my mom passed away last year. Everyone here has given you fantastic advice - you absolutely do not need that expensive earnings record to get survivor benefits calculated. I want to add one more approach that worked for me: I had success using the SSA's online appointment scheduler at ssa.gov/onlineservices. Sometimes it's easier than getting through by phone. You can also check if your local office accepts walk-ins during certain hours - mine had "survivor benefits" walk-in hours on Wednesday mornings from 9-11 AM. For your appointment, definitely bring that folder with all the documents others mentioned. One thing that really helped me was writing down my questions beforehand, including asking about the timing strategies for taking benefits. At 62, you have valuable flexibility that can make a big difference over your lifetime. Those self-employment years from the 90s are absolutely not going to hurt - SSA has all that information already, and self-employment earnings often contribute more to the benefit calculation than people expect. The most important thing is don't give up on that first phone call. Whether you try the early morning calling strategies others suggested, use the online scheduler, or show up for walk-in hours, you will get through this process. Once you have that appointment scheduled, you're going to feel so much more confident about your options.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Evelyn. Reading through all this advice, I think you have a really solid plan now. Just to summarize what seems to work best based on everyone's experiences: try calling the national number (1-800-772-1213) early in the morning (7:45-8:00 AM) on Tuesday or Wednesday, check if your local office has online appointment scheduling at ssa.gov, or look into walk-in hours specifically for survivor benefits. The key documents to organize in a folder are your marriage certificate, his death certificate, both Social Security cards, your ID, and his birth certificate if available. Most importantly, don't stress about needing his detailed earnings record - SSA will access everything they need from their system and show you your benefit options right there. At 62, you're in a good position to explore different timing strategies, so make sure to ask about taking survivor benefits now versus waiting, and whether there are scenarios where you could take one benefit and switch later. Take notes during the appointment and don't be afraid to ask them to explain things multiple times. You're going to get through this process, and once you do, you'll have much more clarity about your financial situation. Hang in there!